The present invention relates to recording apparatuses equipped with an ink tank, including ink jet printers and composite apparatuses incorporating an ink jet printer. In such apparatuses, a carriage carries a print head and an ink tank thereon. The ink tank supplies ink to the print head and the print head performs printing operation. The apparatus indicates to the user when the ink tank becomes empty, prompting the user to replace the ink tank.
The carriage moves at a high speed and therefore places limitations on the capacity of the ink tank carried on the carriage. The ink tank usually has a capacity in the range of only 50-150 cc at most.
The limited capacity of an ink tank is a problem with a conventional recording apparatus equipped with an ink tank. Frequent replacement of the ink tank is a nuisance in businesses where printing of documents is performed day and night. An unmanned operation of the recording apparatus is required in a situation where a large volume of information is received from overseas during night and weekend. Therefore, a conventional recording apparatus equipped with an ink tank is not suitable for tasks in such a situation.